


Of Rainbows and Rings

by Kaleidoscream_Kat



Category: Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: All the other ships are fairly minor in comparison but still present, And Happy Pride Month!, Chika is oblivious and Sarah wants her to make the first move, Established Kanan/Mari, Established Ruby/Leah, Established Yoshiko/Hanamaru, F/F, Featuring Dia being everyone's hero, Festivals, Fluff, Friendship, Gay Pride, Happy Birthday Mari!, KanaMari-centric, Marriage Proposal, Post-Canon, Romance, You and Riko are pining idiots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:47:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24705568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaleidoscream_Kat/pseuds/Kaleidoscream_Kat
Summary: When a Pride Month festival in Tokyo coincides with Mari's birthday, all eleven members of Aqours and Saint Snow reunite for the first time in four years to attend it together. Amidst all the fun and games, Kanan has her own plan to make the day unforgettable.
Relationships: Kazuno Leah/Kurosawa Ruby, Kazuno Sarah/Takami Chika, Kunikida Hanamaru/Tsushima Yoshiko, Matsuura Kanan/Ohara Mari, Sakurauchi Riko/Watanabe You
Comments: 8
Kudos: 41





	1. Prelude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I...honestly wasn't expecting this to be as long as it is. O.O It was all supposed to be one chapter! But then I had too much fun with this part and it became its own chapter?  
> Anyway, the movie will be referenced. Like...I'm talking the first sentence references the movie. But if you haven't seen it, it's really not a big deal, I don't think? There are a couple things you might not get, but nothing major.  
> Also I wrote the whole damn fic in less than 24 hours, the second part is in final editing and will be up shortly.  
> Enjoy!

After the Italy incident four years ago, Mari's controlling mother had accepted her daughter was an adult who could make her own life choices without supervision. She tried to understand her feelings and was now supportive of her decisions, and her father was the same way, but sometimes Kanan wondered how much they could take. Sure, they'd come around to it after Mari dropped a double bomb on them on Christmas three years prior (her exact phrasing was somewhere along the lines of "Kanan's here for Christmas dinner because I've been dating her for about five months. By the way, I'm a lesbian!"), but it had taken several weeks and a few rather awkward conversations. This weekend might be a bit of a struggle for them. Not that what Kanan was planning would help at all, but she could still be concerned about it even if she was knowingly contributing to the situation.

The root of it all was a pride festival taking place in Tokyo. As a convenient coincidence, it just so happened to be on Mari's birthday. (“Convenient coincidence” being used loosely, as Kanan doubted something like this could be a true coincidence but hadn’t managed to get a confession from Mari to prove it.)

Mari declaring to her parents that she was going to be spending her whole birthday at Tokyo Pride Fest, where there would be news crews from all over the country (and probably a couple other countries too), had earned a rather strained response. When she added that Kanan was accompanying her all weekend, the following awkward silence had left no doubt that the implications of an entire weekend together, nights included, weren't lost on them. Kanan knew Mari would be uploading pictures to social media for the whole festival, which would only make her parents more uncomfortable with it. Kanan's own intentions might push them over the edge. But that worry wasn't on her mind anymore, she decided; she'd revisit it on the way home from Tokyo, and not a moment sooner.

As it was, Mari had managed to assemble all their old friends in Tokyo for the weekend. Dia, Chika, You, Riko, Ruby, Yoshiko, Hanamaru, and even the Kazuno sisters would be attending. The eleven of them hadn't been in the same place at the same time since their celebration after Aqours won Love Live! (unless the Love Live! overtime finals they’d held between Aqours and Saint Snow counted), and a lot had changed since then.

Dia had graduated college at the top of her class and returned to Uchiura to start taking part in managing her family's business. Despite earning several suitors (of all pronouns), she steadfastly insisted she didn't have time for relationships. Chika had taken a break from school after graduating from Seishin High School. Now she was in her third year of college and _still_ undecided about what to major in, swaying between the preforming arts, teaching, and marine biology: a rather odd spectrum of choices. She had no intention of working at her family's inn—the inn was Shima's future, she said, not hers. You had decided not to go to college, instead taking work on any boat she could find to gain enough experience for her father to feel confident in retiring and passing his job to her. Riko was studying music theory and making a name for herself as a skilled pianist and singer, bringing in extra money by giving piano lessons. She had also managed to accumulate no fewer than three dogs and four cats that had all turned up near her as starving strays; luckily, she lived in an apartment that allowed pets, and some of her students were happy to trade a day watching them for a free piano lesson when she was out of her apartment for more than a few hours.

Because of winning several contests and having an active Instagram account (and _maybe_ some words in the right ears from Mari to draw initial attention to her), Ruby had been invited to a fashion design internship in Paris almost immediately after graduating high school, and she was popular enough with her superiors that she was designing an outfit all on her own to be exhibited at an upcoming event. Hanamaru had decided to study literature; she'd also published a novel that was well on its way to becoming a bestseller and was nearly done with another. She was still clumsy with technology, relying on her tech-savvy girlfriend and roommate to help her out. Said girlfriend and roommate, Yoshiko, still hosted online fortune telling as the fallen angel Yohane, but she'd separated it entirely from her daily life. In fact, she (as Yoshiko) had a popular YouTube channel where she streamed and uploaded videos of varied content: playing video games, hanging out with friends (and Hanamaru), singing and dancing, memetic challenges, opinion pieces about current events...she didn't have a specific theme, yet had thousands of followers who loved her and her content enough to be called fans. She'd also declared journalism her true calling and cited her bold personality as an advantage to that end.

Despite holding a degree in psychology, Sarah had decided not to pursue a career in it. Rather, she chose to continue running the café, although she did host a popular radio show as well. Leah had decided that because of her assertiveness, no-nonsense attitude, and affinity for fitness, working to become a personal trainer was the right path for her. When asked if it was what she really _wanted_ to do, she'd admitted (with her typical grumpy embarrassment) that helping train Aqours for Love Live! and coaching the girls she'd managed to secure as idols in her second and third years of high school had been some of the most satisfying experiences in her life. Hakodate hadn't forgotten the powerhouse duo the Kazuno sisters had been in high school, and the two of them performed at every local event by popular request. Saint Snow hadn't ended with Sarah's graduation; it had evolved from school idols into something less easily defined but just as special to them both.

After graduating from college in Italy, Mari had spent a few months travelling the world before returning to Uchiura. As the heiress to the Ohara fortune, she was taking on more responsibilities in her family's business, but she hadn't left her affinity for music in high school. She composed and sang her own songs (though she often roped Kanan into helping her with lyrics), then put them online, where she'd built a fairly sizable and very loyal following. Kanan had come back to Uchiura almost as soon as she’d gotten her diving instructor's license. She'd also somehow ("somehow" meaning "through Mari's interference") been exposed as the main choreographer for Aqours to a Numazu theatre company, which now paid her to help whenever it decided to put on a musical—and for some reason (probably Mari again, but that hadn't been proven yet), the troupe had decided to do musicals almost exclusively since she'd promised her aid.

The eleven of them, all travel expenses paid for in advance with a shiny Ohara credit card, had agreed to meet up at the hotel Mari had reserved for them for the weekend: a cozy and modern one that was actually within the area designated for Tokyo Pride Fest. They were all expected to arrive by 6:00, and the time was 5:28. Kanan and Mari had been the first to arrive, checking in an hour ago. With a reunion eminent, Kanan couldn't sit still. She'd been fidgeting since getting to their room (which was adjoined to five others, but with its door kept from closing by the opened latch was the only one of the group accessible from the outside at the moment because Mari had all the keys), and five minutes ago she'd succumbed to the urge to pace.

"Kanan, I know you're excited, but you're starting to make me dizzy," Mari complained from the room’s queen-size bed.

"Sorry," Kanan apologized sheepishly. She forced herself to drop into a chair and almost immediately started fidgeting. It took all of twenty seconds for her to be up and pacing again.

"They'll be here soon," Mari promised. Kanan heard the bed shift, then light footsteps. Two arms wrapping around her waist from behind effectively brought her to a halt, and Mari rested her chin over her shoulder. "You haven't relaxed since we got here. Come on, you _have_ to feel how fluffy this bed is!"

"Okay, okay..." Kanan conceded, allowing her girlfriend to grab her hand and pull her to the bed. Mari let go of her to fling herself onto the mattress, then rolled onto her back and held out her arms pleadingly. If there was one thing that could soothe a restless Kanan, it was Mari requesting cuddles.

The need to move forgotten, Kanan crawled onto the bed and flopped down beside Mari. The blonde immediately latched onto her, shamelessly wriggling down to press her face into her chest. Kanan huffed out a laugh and wrapped her arms around Mari's waist.

"Is this just an excuse for you to grope me?" she teased. Mari moved back enough to look her in the eye.

"Would you argue if it was? It _is_ my birthday tomorrow, you know," she replied, grinning.

"It's hard to argue with that logic," Kanan played along.

"Mmhm..." Mari squirmed up the bed, trailing light kisses up her chest and neck until she could press their foreheads together. She wrapped her legs around Kanan's hips and managed to put her hands on her chest.

"If someone walks in and misunderstands, it's your fault," Kanan told her, because seriously, why couldn't Mari cuddle like a normal person instead of making it look like something more?

"I know," the blonde agreed smugly. Kanan sighed but didn't bother trying to insist she move, knowing it would be a futile attempt. She just tilted her head to cut off Mari's snickering with a kiss, rolling her closed eyes in faint exasperation when she felt her girlfriend give her breasts a firm squeeze.

"Zura!"

Hanamaru's cry of shock startled Kanan into sitting up abruptly, leaving Mari to whine at the sudden loss of contact as she was shaken off.

"I know it's Mari's birthday tomorrow, but really, with the door open, where anyone who walks in can see?" Yoshiko complained, but she was grinning at them.

"We weren't..." Kanan started to explain but ended up just sighing. It wasn't worth the effort, and trying to insist on the truth would only drag out the topic. It was better to let it go before anyone else showed up and the conversation got out of hand. Mari sat up beside her, snickering and clearly enjoying the misunderstanding _far_ too much; Kanan pushed her down and her mirth was replaced with an affronted expression.

"It's good to see you both," Hanamaru said. Kanan stood and didn't even have time to offer; her two juniors were already rushing to give her a hug, and she laughed as she held them closer.

"It's good to see you too," she replied. She gave them both a solid squeeze, then tried to step back only to find that, while Hanamaru let go, Yoshiko refused to relinquish her hold.

"No, I missed Kanan's hugs!" she whined. "It's been weeks!"

"Are you insulting _my_ hugs?" Hanamaru asked darkly.

"Are you trying to steal my girlfriend?" Mari added in the same tone.

"I don't care what you think, it's worth it," Yoshiko mumbled. Kanan wrapped her arms around her and, without warning, picked her up, startling her into letting go of her waist. Yoshiko squealed as she found herself slung over a strong shoulder.

"Sorry, I'm not risking our jealous girlfriends taking revenge on us," Kanan teased. "Ready?"

"Ready for wha—AAAAH!" Yoshiko cried as she was unceremoniously dumped onto the bed. Kanan rounded on Hanamaru.

"Next!" She lunged, and the author squealed but wasn't fast enough to escape. Kanan grabbed her, hauled her to the bed, and tossed her beside Yoshiko. "There, that's better."

"Not so fast!" Mari barreled into her from behind, knocking her onto the mattress and almost crushing Hanamaru.

"Hey, Mari! Get off!" she protested, squirming free. She managed to crawl further onto the bed, but before she could flee it, hands grabbed her shirt and yanked her down.

"Oh no, you don't get to try to steal my girlfriend without paying the price, zura..." Hanamaru scolded, her evil grin audible.

"She was the one clinging to me, remember?" Kanan argued. Mari gave an exaggerated gasp.

"And you let her? Kanan! How could you cheat on me like this? And with my birthday tomorrow!" she lamented, flopping down on top of the diver with a tragic sob.

"Yoshiko, why are we dating these idiots?" Kanan asked flatly. Yoshiko snorted, then cleared her throat.

"Oh, what a fool was I! I thought our affair meant something to us both, but you were only playing a game with my heart!" she accused dramatically, throwing herself across Mari and Kanan's legs. "How cruel!"

"You took advantage of Yoshiko-chan's short attention span to seduce her away from me! I thought we were friends!" Hanamaru managed to get her arms between Kanan and Mari to squeeze the diver's waist.

"Kanan is just too irresistible!" Mari declared. "She has a primal magnetism that makes everyone want to jump into her arms."

"Primal magnetism?" Kanan spluttered, blushing.

"You _do_ have three beautiful women hanging off of you," Mari pointed out teasingly, kissing the back of her neck. Hanamaru snuggled into her side while Yoshiko curved her body around her legs.

"I-I...well..." Kanan fumbled for words. The other three burst into wild giggles at her fluster. The door, left cracked, was pushed fully open again.

"Ooh, it's dogpile on Kanan-chan?" a new voice asked excitedly. Kanan heard footsteps set off into a running start. "Yousoro!"

You launched herself onto the pile, effectively managing to crush the breath from both Kanan and Mari's lungs. The couple wheezed under the abrupt new weight while You, Hanamaru, and Yoshiko laughed.

"We were just talking about how Kanan has been trying to steal me away from Zuramaru," Yoshiko explained.

"I doubt there was a lot of real effort involved," You played along, voice full of mischief. "Kanan-chan's always had this...hmm..."

"Primal magnetism?" Mari offered helpfully when You trailed off to search for words.

"Yes, exactly!" the sailor agreed. "Primal magnetism!"

"No I don't!" Kanan protested indignantly.

"You totally do. Chika-chan and I both had _huge_ crushes on you back before high school, y'know!" You countered.

"Wait, you had—huh? On me?" Kanan choked on her shock.

"She's so clueless, Mari-chan," You complained. "Is that why you had to confess five times for her to finally get it?"

Kanan groaned, pressing her face into the mattress. Maybe she could smother herself and avoid further embarrassment.

"Actually I think it was seven," Mari corrected. Kanan just groaned again and closed her eyes as her friends had a good laugh at her expense. She was glad for the lively atmosphere, though.

 _I missed this,_ she noticed. Not the everyone ganging up on her part, obviously, but the energy that came from being together—and it was only going to get better as more of them continued to arrive.

"What on Earth are you doing?" Dia demanded, as if on cue. Kanan turned her head to look at the new arrival, who was staring at the scene on the bed with a dumbfounded expression.

"Well you see...it all started with one of Kanan's hugs," Mari replied. Dia nodded sagely, like that was a full explanation instead of just a tidbit of information.

"Dia, please get them off of me..." Kanan requested.

"It sounds to me like you brought this on yourself," Dia refused, a smirk tugging at her lips. Kanan's eyes widened at the declaration of abandonment.

"Dia!" But Dia just sat on the edge of the bed and started talking to Hanamaru, leaving Kanan to her fate. It took ten minutes for everyone to decide to let her move, and by the time she extricated herself from them, someone was pushing the door open again. Chika bounced in, radiating excitement and energy.

"Chika-chan!" You greeted her with a grin. "You just missed a big cuddle pile on Kanan-chan."

"Ehh? No fair!" Chika whined, shoulders slumping. Kanan quickly retreated to lean against the wall farthest from the bed, just in case.

"It's alright, Chika-chan..." You patted her shoulder comfortingly. There was only a moment of warning—just a quick flash of a shit-eating grin—before she had Chika sprawled on the bed under her.

"Y-Y-You-chan!" Chika giggled as her best friend started to relentlessly tickle her stomach, making her squirm and halfheartedly try to fend off the attack.

"They're like little kids," Mari noticed fondly, leaning against the wall beside Kanan and reaching for her hand. Kanan pointedly jerked it away and crossed her arms. "Kanan...?"

"You might have to try six more times before I get it," the diver grumbled, concealing a smirk. Mari's jaw dropped.

"Are you...pouting? You're seriously upset over that?"

 _No. But you created a misunderstanding, teased me, and kept me pinned down to the bed for ten minutes. Making you squirm is payback._ Kanan huffed and looked off to the side, not betraying her true motive for giving her girlfriend the cold shoulder.

"Kanan, I'm sorry! I think it's cute when you're all naïve and don't know how much you affect people! I meant it, about the magnetism thing!" Mari insisted desperately, trying to get back in her good graces. "You're just so, so amazing, and I'm always worried someone's going to come steal you away from me. You are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen! And you're so sweet, and you always—"

"Pfft..." Kanan failed to fully stifle a snicker. Mari cut off, and Kanan could barely hold in her laughter.

"You were teasing me," Mari accused. Kanan couldn't fight it anymore, turning her head to meet Mari's disbelieving eyes and nearly doubling over as she laughed at how she'd fallen so completely for the trick. Mari's face turned bright red and she punched the diver's shoulder. "You ass! I was really worried I'd upset you!" she complained.

Kanan just kept laughing. Mari crossed her arms, trying to keep up the indignant attitude, but she soon broke into her own giggles.

"I can't believe I fell in love with such a silly dork," she said when they calmed.

" _I'm_ the silly dork in this relationship?" Kanan raised a dubious eyebrow, then considered. "Well, I guess it takes one to know one."

"Speaking of silly dorks..." Mari looked at the bed, where apparently Chika had managed to retaliate, because she and You were both worn-out. The sailor had collapsed on her best friend, both still giggling breathlessly with aftershocks from their tickle-fight.

"They did that all the time when we were little," Kanan remembered. "I guess some things never change."

At that moment, the next arrival came in the door: Riko, whose black bag bore the evidence of her beloved furry roommates. She was smiling, but when she spotted Chika and You, her joy faltered.

"Oh..." she said quietly, then shook it off. "Good afternoon, everyone! It's so good to see you again."

You jolted at the sound of Riko's voice. She shot to her feet and stood at attention despite being visibly shaky from the merciless mutual tickling she'd just endured.

"Riko-chan! Hi!" she greeted, an octave higher than usual. Her lingering blush deepened as she offered her friend a salute and a smile. Kanan grinned at the scene.

"But then again...some things _do_ change. You spent years chasing after Chika, and now..."

"Now she's only got eyes for Riko," Mari finished. She made another grab for Kanan's hand, and this time her girlfriend interlaced their fingers and leaned against her. "Apparently there was a time she was interested in someone else entirely, though..." she added teasingly. Kanan was confused for a few seconds before she remembered.

"Okay, can we forget about how Chika and You had 'huge crushes' on me and I didn't notice?" she requested.

"You also didn't notice _my_ feelings," Mari reminded her helpfully. "Oh, by the way, Dia had a crush on you when we were kids."

"I—she—no she didn't!" Kanan denied. Mari grinned.

"Hey Dia!" she called, bringing the attention of the entire room over in their direction. Kanan's face flushed. "Didn't you have a crush on Kanan when we were kids?"

"Eheheh..." Dia sheepishly started scratching at her mole. "Yes, I suppose I did."

"Seriously?" Kanan stared at her in shock. Mari laughed.

"See? At least half of Aqours has had a crush on you at some point or another!"

"Half?" Riko repeated. Kanan's blush deepened.

"You admitted she and Chika-chi both did before high school," Mari explained brightly.

"You-chan! You _told_ her?" Chika whined. You rubbed the back of her neck with an apologetic smile. Kanan groaned and hit the back of her head against the wall, closing her eyes.

"Okay, please tell me no one _else_ has had a crush on me," she said, surveying the group. After a few seconds, Hanamaru timidly raised a hand, and everyone stared at her in shock.

"Not a serious one," she defended herself. "Just a little, tiny, brief crush, zura..."

"If fleeting ones count, then...me too," Riko confessed, blushing. All eyes turned to Yoshiko, who threw up her hands in defense.

"Don't look at me! I've loved Zuramaru since we were little!" she protested indignantly. "Kanan's hot, but that's just obvious to anyone who looks at her. I've never had any kind of crush on her."

"Can we please talk about _anything_ else?" Kanan begged, pressing her face into Mari's shoulder. The blonde giggled and patted her head, then wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Riko-chan! How are your seven babies?" You asked eagerly. Riko coughed lightly.

"I, ah...eight now," she corrected. "A really sweet calico showed up and she was skin and bones, I _had_ to take her in!"

"You're a student in a one-person apartment. How do you have the money and space for all these animals?" Dia asked in disbelief.

"Careful budgeting and space management."

"Still—" Dia's firm tone indicated she was about to start lecturing Riko on priorities and proper self-care, but she was cut off by the door swinging open again.

“Sarah-chan, Leah-chan!” Riko cried, relief at being saved from a lengthy spiel making her voice break. Kanan looked up and would have offered her own greeting, but her attention was caught by the small scene on the bed: Chika, somehow having almost fallen asleep since Riko’s entrance, scrambling to sit up upon hearing the Kazuno sisters had arrived—and promptly tumbling to the floor. You put a hand to her forehead in secondhand embarrassment at her best friend’s mishap.

“It’s good to see all of you again,” Sarah said politely, scanning the room. Her smile widened slightly in amusement when she took in Chika’s predicament.

“Likewise, zura!” Hanamaru chirped. Sarah and Leah set their bags aside, the door swinging back to its almost-closed position.

"Is...um..." Leah fidgeted, blushing lightly.

"Ruby's not here yet," Dia told her. "She should be soon, though."

Leah's blush deepened even as she smiled softly. She and Ruby had been dating since Ruby left for Paris. Leah had been one of seven friends seeing her off at the airport in Tokyo (Mari had been out of the country, and Chika and You had been sick with the flu), and at almost the last moment, she'd managed to get the courage to confess. Ruby's response had been an almost instant "I love you too, Leah-chan!" and there had been a very cute kiss, and some tears, and a heartbreaking goodbye. The few times Ruby had been able to come back to Japan, they hadn't been able to see each other. But their long-distance relationship had worked out, and both were undoubtedly giddy that they were about to finally reunite.

“I know your birthday isn’t until tomorrow,” Sarah spoke up, unzipping a pocket on the outside of her suitcase, “but…”

“You didn’t have to get me anything!” Mari reminded her, almost bashfully. She’d insisted that no one was to buy her any gifts, and being here was better than anything she could ask for. Kanan knew because she had been subject to that same speech—but she’d spent months saving up her money and fighting her anxiety, so she’d only pretended to agree. She had a feeling Mari wouldn’t be too upset at the lie.

“You asked us not to _buy_ you anything,” Sarah countered. “We _made_ you this.” She walked over, a small box in hand. “We had some coffee beans left over in the café from a seasonal spring blend. Not enough to do much with, but enough to use as flavoring. We made a few different kinds of sweets with them. Otherwise, they would have gone to waste.”

“Oh, how thoughtful!” Mari accepted the box. Sarah shrugged.

“I did most of the work, but it was all Leah’s idea.”

“Nee-sama!” Leah protested indignantly, face flaming. She huffed and plopped down on the end of the bed as the rest of the room chuckled. “Whatever, I just didn’t want to get shown-up if the rest of you ended up bringing her stuff anyway.”

“Sure you didn’t,” You teased, patting her head. Leah batted her away with a glare and the sailor retreated, laughing. Sarah shook her head in amusement at her sister’s flustered reactions.

“There aren’t enough for everyone, and they’ll taste best if you eat them tonight,” she told Mari. “But there should be enough to share with one person,” she added, darting a wink at Kanan.

“Whaaaat? We don’t get any?” Chika whined. Sarah chuckled and turned back to look at the pouting redhead.

“I’ll buy you something at the festival tomorrow,” she promised smoothly. Chika perked up immediately.

“Thanks, Sarah-chan!”

“Yoshiko-chan, aren’t you gonna promise to buy me something, zura?” Hanamaru prompted her girlfriend. The two of them were sitting on the floor with Dia, Riko, and a deck of cards.

“Ha! I won’t buy you anything, Zuramaru. I’m going to _win_ you an amazing prize!” Yoshiko boasted. Hanamaru gave her girlfriend a long, measured look of disbelief.

“You are?” she asked dubiously. Yoshiko’s puffed-up chest deflated.

“Hey, what’s that mean?”

“You’ve got famously bad luck, zura. Will the festival gods cooperate?”

As the couple bickered (with occasional interjections by Riko and Dia to remind them that they were in the middle of a game and that it was their turn again), Sarah drifted over to talk to Chika, You, and Leah, leaving Mari and Kanan to themselves.

“It’s going to be a good weekend,” Mari predicted with a happy sigh. Kanan hummed agreement, content to watch the card game on the floor devolve into Yoshiko sulking, Hanamaru giggling, and Dia and Riko picking up the cards that had been haphazardly thrown around.

In a moment of silence, Kanan heard one set of footsteps and suitcase wheels from the hallway, approaching the door. Leah bolted to her feet, too excited to even look embarrassed at the snorts and snickers her eagerness earned.

"Hi!" Ruby's voice called when the door swung open to reveal her cheerful smile. "How are—? Leah-chan!" she squealed, breaking into a grin. Her suitcase hit the floor at the same time as she shot across the room at a near-superhuman speed to launch herself at the purple-haired girl. Leah, caught off-guard, hit the bed on her back with an "Oof!" from the force.

"Looks like you're her _second_ -favorite person now, Dia," Mari teased. Dia just rolled her eyes and smiled at where her sister was curled up atop Leah, nuzzling into her like a cat.

"Um...h-hi, Ruby," Leah greeted awkwardly, blushing as she rested one arm over Ruby's waist.

"Should we give you some privacy?" Sarah offered, smiling. Leah turned her head to glare.

"Nee-sama!" she hissed through gritted teeth, her blush deepening. Her sister's smile widened.

“So, now that we’re all here…how is this gonna work?” You put her hands on her hips and looked Mari in the eye.

“Well, I managed to get six rooms, including this one, all adjoining. They’re all the same,” Mari began. Ruby and Leah sat up, Ruby immediately snuggling into her girlfriend’s side and Sarah immediately getting a pillow to the face courtesy of Leah.

“Then these doors,” Riko pointed at the two doors on opposite walls, “go into other rooms?” Mari nodded.

“It’s the future, zura!”

“Hang on. If all the rooms are like this one…” You frowned, looking around at the room—particularly at the singe queen-sized bed in it. Everyone else seemed to catch on pretty quickly.

"Yes, there are only going to be six beds, and almost everyone will need to share. So!" Mari clapped her hands together with what could only be described as a shit-eating grin. "I've already come up with a shiny plan for who sleeps where!"

Kanan could already see where this was going. Of course her girlfriend would use a gay pride event to play matchmaker.

"Obviously, Kanan and I are sharing a room," she began, linking arms with her girlfriend as she said her name. "Hanamaru and Yoshiko get one too. And I wouldn't dream of separating Ruby and Leah after they've spent so long apart!" She winked at the pair, who flushed bright scarlet.

"That leaves five people and three rooms," Dia noticed. Kanan didn't miss the stern look she shot at Leah; the elder of the Kurosawa sisters clearly had a lecture in store for the younger Kazuno, and neither of them would enjoy _that_ conversation. Mari nodded.

"I know you're uncomfortable sharing a sleeping space with anyone unless it’s Ruby, so you'll get one to yourself. Since out of the other three, Chika-chi knows Sarah the best, they'll be sharing, which would leave You and Riko sharing the last room!" Mari finished.

 _And there it is..._ Kanan sighed. Chika had been crushing on Sarah for two years now and was painfully oblivious to her flirting; You and Riko, well...they were just pining idiots and prime examples of useless lesbians. Both pairs needed the push, Kanan had to admit.

And it was kind of hilarious to see You and Riko immediately become blushy stuttering messes while somehow _still_ not realizing their feelings were mutual, like the adorable gay idiots they were.

"U-uhm...are you okay with that, Sarah-chan?" Chika asked nervously, fidgeting. Sarah smiled.

"I'm more than fine with this, Chika," she assured her smoothly. Chika, so lovable but so clueless, clearly didn't recognize that flirty comment for what it really was. The worst part of their situation was that Sarah _knew_ Chika returned her feelings—she just didn't want to make the first actual move.

"Okay, then here are your keys!" Mari handed out an envelope each to Dia, Ruby, Chika, Riko, and Yoshiko. "The room numbers are written on them, so settle in. Then we can all head out for dinner!" The girls began to gather their bags, but Dia grabbed Leah’s wrist.

“ _You_ wait a minute,” she ordered in a dangerous growl. Leah stared around pleadingly, but most of the group pretended not to see her silent screams for help. Sarah pointedly ignored her in favor of walking uncomfortably close to Ruby, corralling the younger Kurosawa out and eliminating the one hope of rescue Leah had. When everyone cleared out, Dia looked expectantly at Mari and Kanan, like she was waiting for them to follow.

“It’s our room, Dia,” Kanan pointed out. Her friend sighed in reluctant acceptance, then turned back to Leah. The younger girl visibly gulped.

“If I find out anything— _anything_ —happened between you two in that room this weekend, I will come for you. If you lay one hand on my baby sister, if you do one thing she disagrees with, if you _breathe_ the wrong way in her direction, you will feel the wrath of hell itself. Is that clear?” Dia demanded lowly. Leah nodded furiously, face pale.

“Yes ma’am,” she squeaked out weakly. Dia let go of her wrist.

“I’m glad we’re in agreement,” she decreed coolly, then picked up her bag and strode out. Leah took a few seconds to compose herself before following. Kanan chuckled and shook her head.

“Ruby’s always going to be a baby to her,” she commented. Mari giggled.

“I’m certainly glad I didn’t have to dodge protective older siblings to get into your bed,” she said. Kanan rolled her eyes, a light flush creeping into her cheeks.

“Maybe not, but I remember when my dad pulled you aside for a talk after he walked in on us that time. You were _crying_ when you came back into the room,” she countered. Mari gasped and swatted her shoulder.

“Kanan! You promised never to bring that up again!” she whined.

“Did I?” Kanan grinned, crossing her arms. Mari huffed and spun around to face away from her, so Kanan laughed and wrapped her arms around her waist. “I’m sorry,” she apologized with a quick kiss to Mari’s cheek, and the blonde slumped against her with a dramatic sigh. “Is there any way I can make it up to you?” she offered playfully. Mari hummed, then broke from the embrace and faced her.

“Put these in the minifridge,” she ordered, holding out the box and trying to act stern. Kanan smirked and took the box.

“I was expecting you to tell me to let you be the big spoon tonight,” she teased.

“Well, I was going to get to that after dinner,” Mari retorted. There was a pause. Then… “Okay, but really. Can I?”

“Sure,” Kanan consented with a brief laugh. She leaned forward to press a light kiss to Mari’s lips, then went to put the box of sweets in the room’s minifridge.

“I love you, Kanan!” Mari called.

“Love you too,” Kanan answered without turning around. She did, however, cast a quick glance at the backpack she’d brought. She had the urge to check and make sure she’d remembered to bring what she needed for tomorrow—she knew she had, she’d checked at least twenty times before leaving her house—but refrained. It was imperative that Mari not suspect anything. If she saw Kanan’s intentions before she revealed them…well, it wouldn’t be a tragedy or anything, but it would be a little disappointing. Kanan didn’t want Mari to expect it. She didn’t want her to be prepared for it.

Half the fun of this proposal, in her opinion, was the element of surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dia: How do you have the money and space for all these animals?  
> Riko: *has sold most of her furniture and maintains a diet that's approximately 75% cheap cup noodles* Careful budgeting and space management.  
> -  
> The next part is the fun part! Well, I mean, I hope this part was still fun. But the next part is where things actually happen. ^.^


	2. Tokyo Pride Fest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, this was written in less than 24 hours. Not my best work, I will openly admit. But I was on a time limit and my brain has been all over the place so it's hard to sit down and write solidly, which undoubtedly shows. Last chapter was 100% Kanan's perspective, but this one goes back and forth between a few of the others too.   
> I'm so tired I just want this to be finished and posted so I can sleep. :)

Kanan had always been an early riser. It was a blessing, usually, but right now it felt more like a curse. Mari was pressed flush against her back, one arm over her waist, legs tangled together, warm breath ghosting over the back of her neck. It was the second-best way to wake up, in her opinion (the best way was when she was the one holding Mari), but she was restless. Anticipation for her own plan was setting her nerves on fire with the need to move. It wasn’t easy for her to stay still, but she did, because she didn’t want to disturb her girlfriend.

Her concerns were rendered moot a few minutes later when she felt Mari start to stir. Kanan sighed with the relief.

“Morning, Kanan,” Mari mumbled in her ear, then nuzzled into her neck.

“Happy birthday, Mari,” she replied. Mari just hummed, holding her closer. Kanan wondered if maybe this would be one of the rare mornings when Mari’s presence would lull her back into sleep…

_THUD!_

The sound came from the room beside theirs. Kanan could catch bits of the conversation—You had apparently been sleeping at the edge of the bed and accidentally rolled off when she started to rouse, and Riko’s suggestion that she just sleep closer to the middle of the bed was quickly followed by nervous laughter and stuttering. She could also hear Dia opening an adjoining door and waking her sister and Leah, and Leah’s panicked denials of wrongdoing (“We were just cuddling, I swear!”), and Ruby concurring with her girlfriend. Then she heard Sarah come through the adjoining door to Dia’s room to get to Ruby and Leah’s, and from the way the incoherent volume rose, she’d decided to purposefully exacerbate the situation.

“Maybe I should have put everyone on different floors…” Mari grumbled.

“Dia would have camped in the hall outside Ruby and Leah’s room,” Kanan pointed out.

“I hate that you’re right,” Mari sighed. “We have high-maintenance friends.”

“We do. And I have a high-maintenance girlfriend, too,” Kanan teased.

“You’re so sweet,” Mari said dryly. Kanan just chuckled. “You’re lucky I love you.”

“Yeah, I’m very lucky,” Kanan agreed. There was a pause until Mari realized Kanan wasn’t going to add anything.

“You can’t just say that!” the blonde protested.

“I can’t agree that I’m lucky you love me?” Kanan played innocent.

“Kanan!” Mari whined.

The morning wasn’t _peaceful_ , per se, but it was nice nonetheless.

* * *

From the very first mention of the event, it was obvious that the eleven friends wouldn’t be together the whole time. After breakfast (pancakes topped with rainbow sprinkles, and a free strawberry parfait for Mari when Kanan told the staff it was her birthday, plus another one for Kanan when Mari asked for one for her girlfriend), they inevitably went separate ways. Kanan and Mari disappeared first—Dia heard Mari mention something about a dancefloor, and the next time she turned around, both of them were gone. Chika, You, and Riko were next, all rushing off to find the source of the face paint they kept seeing. Sarah and Hanamaru drifted into a bookstore advertising good bargains on all books with LGBTQ+ themes. Ruby and Leah told Dia they were going to walk around (Leah still looked a little scared—Dia felt bad about that, she had to admit), and Yoshiko…wandered off somewhere at some point, apparently, because she was nowhere to be seen now.

Dia decided to take advantage of her time alone and headed to the tents and stalls where people were selling merchandise. She was looking for something small but commemorative—something she could buy eleven of, so she and each of her friends would have one. None of the others would think of this kind of souvenir, she knew. They all seemed too distracted by the event and quite frankly, by each other. They’d regret it if the event ended and they didn’t each have a matching keepsake, and that was why they were lucky they had Dia.

A stand caught her eye and she paused. It was staffed by a woman wearing a blue, pink, and white shirt, and her partner, who had bands of lavender, white, and green painted on their face. There was a display case on the table, and when Dia peered into it, she saw exactly what she was looking for: enamel pins, bearing the date, name, and place of the event. There were varied designs, but she settled on a simple rainbow with the information etched in blue into a pink banner that stretched between the rainbow’s ends.

“How much would it be for eleven of these?” she asked, pointing at it and already pulling out her wallet—she wasn’t here to haggle, just to purchase. But before a price could be given, a loud commotion made her turn. It sounded…angry? And it was coming closer, she realized. “Excuse me, I’ll be right back,” she told the couple at the booth, then went to investigate. The source turned out to be a group of about twenty people, all with angry expressions as they shouted and waved signs. The festival-goers seemed almost afraid. It didn't take long for Dia to understand why: the intent of the group was obvious.

Everything they waved and shouted was the same. It was bigoted and hateful, about how love should only be between one man and one woman, how gender identity is fake because you are what you’re born with, how anyone who wasn’t cis-het was deranged, how the entire event was a cesspool of corruption and evil. It was everything the festival-goers had come to escape, and it made Dia furious.

_Stay calm,_ she told herself as the bigots shouted at their onlookers. _The festival has security, and they’re probably on their way. Don’t get involved where you don’t have the authority._

Then a high school-age girl broke down in tears and that was _it_. All thoughts of leaving this to the proper authorities fled from Dia's mind. She stepped out from the crowd to stand in the empty space before the bigots, stance strong and authoritative as she leveled a stern glare at them, commanding respect before she even opened her mouth.

"Do you really have nothing better to do on a Saturday than attend an event that likely sickens you just to shout a few obscenities before being dragged away by the authorities?" she asked scornfully.

A man opened his mouth to reply. She didn't let him.

"Honestly, you're making fools of yourselves. Your needless spite led you to come here, swelling your own egos with every obscenity you shout. You clearly feel your archaic opinions are fading from modern society. Why else would you verbally attack people at a festival where no wrongdoing is taking place? As you can see," Dia gestured around her, "there are no nefarious schemes being plotted. This is a place of acceptance and tolerance. We're here to support each other. We're here to express who we are without fear. We're here to enjoy ourselves. We're here to play games, win prizes, shop, eat, drink, dance, and make memories with friends and strangers alike. No one is here because they were coerced. If you truly believed you were in the right, instead of coming to shout down those of us who are confident enough in our identities to attend this festival, you would be at home, preaching your precious values to your friends and family. According to you, we are beyond salvation. So why are you talking to us, strangers who stand for what you hate, instead of making sure your loved ones follow your narrow-minded ideals?"

The protestors stared at her, slack-jawed. Dia crossed her arms.

"You are all pathetic. So hateful and eager to hurt those different from you that you don't even see your own irrationality. Nothing you do or say here will effect any change. After you're escorted out, the festivities will continue as though you were never here. Your campaign is a pointless waste of time. Your cause will gain nothing and lose respect."

Dia waited to see if they would respond. When they said nothing, she shook her head sadly.

"And you can't even come up with a way to counter my argument. Now you stand exposed as an uninformed mob with no true logic behind all of your discrimination and hate. Please, go home before you humiliate yourselves further."

For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then the group of bigots turned and fled from the ice in Dia's eyes, tails between their legs. Dia watched them leave, paying no heed to cheering and applause around her. She thought the celebration was just because of the retreat. She didn't realize until someone patted her on the back that it was for _her_.

"That was amazing!"

"You didn't even yell or curse at them or anything!"

"What a dignified young lady!"

"You're so brave!"

"Thank you so much!"

"That woman is my hero."

The praise was dizzying. Dia blinked a few times, a lump rising in her throat as she realized how many of the onlookers were genuinely impressed and touched by her successful stand against the bigots.

"It was my pleasure," she said with a smile, blushing at the admiration. "I'm sure I only did what everyone here wanted to do."

“We all wanted to, but _you_ actually did it,” said another voice. Dia turned to wave her act off as nothing to make a fuss over and found herself face-to-face with the couple from the booth whose merchandise she had been eyeing. The woman was holding a small bag.

“Oh, are those the pins?” Dia realized, looking for her wallet again. “How much were they?”

“Free, for you,” the woman told her firmly. Dia froze in shock. “Eleven, yes?”

“I…yes, that’s right. But I can’t accept this! Please, let me pay you,” Dia insisted, but the woman only laughed.

“If they had gotten to us,” she reached for her partner’s hand and their fingers intertwined, “it wouldn’t have been pleasant. I have anger management problems and they have crippling anxiety. You’re smart enough to do the math. You saved us from at least one lawsuit. It’s the least we can do.”

“Thank you,” Dia acknowledged, humbled by the matter-of-fact words. She accepted the bag of enamel pins and bowed deeply. “Enjoy the rest of the festival.” As the couple walked off and Dia put the bag in her purse, another person approached her—about Dia’s own age, with kind eyes and a bright smile.

“Would you mind if I bought you coffee?” they offered hopefully.

“I don’t have time for—” Dia cut off in the middle of her standard rejection, considering. It was an offer for coffee, not a courtship proposition, and she wouldn’t mind talking to someone new. Making friends had never been particularly easy for her, after all, and wasting this opportunity would be a shame. She was in a place where she felt safe, like she could be truly open even with a complete stranger. Why not take advantage of it? “Actually…coffee sounds nice.”

* * *

“Riko-chan, can I have some more of your lemonade?” You begged. “Please?”

“No, You-chan. You’ve already had more of it than I have,” Riko refused.

“Riko-chan!” You whined, but Riko refused to look at her. If she looked at You, she’d give in, and that was why she was walking around with a half-empty cup of lemonade she’d barely touched in the first place. She blamed the face paint. No one had the right to look that adorable with a rainbow sailboat stenciled over one cheek and an anchor over the other. _No one_.

After splitting off from the initial group, Riko, Chika, and You had tracked down a group of people painting attendees’ faces for free with an album of stencils and an arsenal of paint colors. While You had immediately gone for a nautical theme, Chika had just asked for hearts—her face and neck were, accordingly, covered in hearts of all hues. Riko had ended up with a spray of cherry blossoms across her left cheek in the colors of the lesbian flag and accented with silver glitter. (Chika had been upset she hadn’t gotten glitter, which had been met with laughter and, at her insistence, rainbow glitter being dumped on her head. Riko, You, and everyone who got anywhere near Chika would probably be finding glitter attached to them for months.) After they were satisfactorily decorated, they’d decided to try some homemade pink lemonade. You had drained hers in a heartbeat and immediately started stealing Riko’s. Riko very, very pointedly avoided thinking about how it was an indirect kiss. If she let the thought cross her mind too sincerely, she’d become an absolute disaster and You would find out about her feelings.

“Hey, what’s that?” Chika pointed at where a large event tent had been set up. Music was drifting from it, instrumental and vague, but lively all the same. You stopped trying to poach Riko’s lemonade long enough for Riko to finish it off herself, and the trio headed over to investigate the tent. Upon stepping through the open flaps, Riko spotted a trash can and tossed her empty cup. Then she looked at the front of the tent and her eyes widened.

Apparently, someone had donated a professional karaoke setup to the event. It was rigged and ready, with an open space as a performance area while a selection of varied chairs served as a seating space for the audience. There was a large audience at the moment, but no one actually performing.

“Karaoke! Let’s do a song!” Chika suggested. The three of them headed up to where several identical binders held the song options and each grabbed one. Chika and You both opened theirs to a random page, but Riko started on the first. She turned it and did a double take.

"Wait, is that...?" Riko froze and scanned the page again. Her heart jumped into her throat. "You-chan, Chika-chan! Page two has...!" You and Chika exchanged a puzzled glance and turned to the page in their own binders. A moment passed before they both gasped.

"No way!" You cried, eyes wide.

"These are Aqours songs!" Chika squealed. The trio scanned the selection and traded a grin.

"Are we thinking the same thing?" Riko asked knowingly. The other two nodded, and all three of them burst into giggles.

"Do you two remember the steps?" Chika looked at them eagerly.

"Of course!" You saluted. "It was the first time I danced onstage. Muscle memory isn't a problem for me!"

"I was so excited to see everyone again that I binge-watched all our PVs, including the one we made after that performance," Riko confessed, blushing lightly.

"Same here," Chika agreed with a laugh.

"Okay, then let's do it!" You declared. "Full speed ahead..."

"Yousoro!" the three of them chorused, saluting. They headed to the MC, who smiled.

"What are you lovely ladies going to sing tonight?" the woman asked, ready to find the track.

"Number 32," Chika replied, and she flipped to it.

"Great choice! Some nice school idol nostalgia...Aqours won Love Live! for Uranohoshi while I was in high school, and I was rooting for them even though my own school’s idols were competing against them. Aqours is still one of my favorite groups," the MC approved. Then she took a second look at the girls, narrowing her eyes. "Hey, are you three actually...?"

"Yep, and we'll need headsets instead of mics. Get ready for a real show!" You shot her a wink. The MC grinned and offered them the box.

"The stage is yours!" As the trio situated the headsets, the MC turned off the background music and grabbed her own microphone. "Alright everyone, we have a few very special guests taking the floor! Formerly from Uranohoshi High School's school idol group Aqours, it's Chika Takami, You Watanabe, and Riko Sakurauchi singing their original song: 'Daisuki dattara Daijoubu!' Show us how to sparkle, ladies!"

"I think everyone here already knows how to sparkle just fine," You said over the applause, earning whistles and laughs. The sailor winked at Riko as they took their positions and her heart stuttered.

Then the music started, and Riko was swept up in the nostalgia, the cheers of the crowd, the music, the dance so familiar even after so many years, and the warmth lingering in her chest from those ocean-blue eyes.

* * *

The applause was thunderous, and so very familiar. You grinned, still catching her breath as she admired the standing ovation. Chika tackled her in a hug, then lunged to the side and dragged Riko in as well. The three of them giggled breathlessly until the MC cleared her throat and held out the bin for the headsets.

“Quite a show, you three,” she complimented.

“We’re a little rusty, but yeah, we weren’t too bad,” You acknowledged. The MC smiled, then cleared her throat.

“Say, You-san…you wouldn’t happen to be single, would you…?” she asked hopefully.

_I hate getting this question…_ You cringed internally. She always felt bad just saying no to date offers and always ended up struggling to explain herself. And now she had to do it in front of _Riko_ , of all people.

“Yeah, technically. But um, kind of not?” You laughed sheepishly. “I’m not dating anyone, but there’s someone I’m way in love with, so it wouldn’t be fair if I dated anyone but her.”

“Oh…” the woman acknowledged, blushing.

“Heh…” Chika’s audible smirk caught You’s attention. Her best friend had _that spark_ in her eye, the one that meant she was about to stir up trouble. “Hear that, Riko-chan? Hurry up and ask her out so she doesn’t have to keep awkwardly telling strangers she’s pining so hard over you!”

“Chika-chan!” You yelped, her face turning bright red. Chika grinned smugly at her, and You almost wanted to hit her upside the head for exposing her so completely.

“You-chan…is that true?” Riko asked quietly. You stiffened.

“I, uh..well…” she stammered.

“Oooh!” the audience observed, Chika’s voice loudest among them. You smacked a hand to her own forehead and groaned.

_Well, there’s no escaping it now..._ You took a breath and met Riko’s eyes.

“Y-yeah, it is. You probably think it’s weird for me to be in l-love with you, huh, Riko-chan?” she admitted nervously with a tense chuckle. Riko’s mouth fell open, and You flinched when she spotted the tears in her eyes. “S-sorry. Um, it doesn’t have to be a big thing, alright? I’m not gonna try anything, so y-you don’t need to be uncomfortable around—”

“Of course it’s a big thing, You-chan!” Riko cut her off vehemently with a grin that contrasted the tears on her face. “How could it not be a big thing when I love you too?”

“Huh? You love me too?” You repeated, incredulous. “Did I hear that right?”

“Yes, you oblivious lesbians! You’re in love with each other, now kiss!” Chika cheered. You and Riko both flushed bright red.

“ _We’re_ the oblivious ones?” the sailor asked indignantly. “At least we’re not blind to blatant flirting!”

“What’s that mean?” Chika tilted her head in innocent confusion. You scoffed.

“Oh please, Chika-chan! Sarah-chan has been flirting with you for _months_ now, waiting for you to make the first move!” she revealed, grinning. Chika’s jaw dropped.

“I—she—no, she hasn’t!” she protested.

“Oh yes she has,” Riko confirmed smugly. “Maybe you should get your own love life sorted out before you keep butting into ours.”

“Sarah-chan…she…?” Chika swayed on her feet, overwhelmed. She shook the dazed look from her eyes and bolted, presumably to find her crush. You shook her head with a fond chuckle.

“So, um…You-chan…” Riko caught her attention. “Does this mean…will you please go out with me?”

“Of course I will, Riko-chan!” You accepted immediately, the shock having already worn off. She beamed at Riko, then leaned in to kiss her unpainted cheek. “And I probably owe you a lemonade.”

“Yeah…” Riko giggled. “You kind of do.”

“Then shall we?” You offered a hand, and Riko’s blush deepened as she interlaced their fingers. You grinned. “Alright, let’s go. Ready?”

“Full speed ahead!” Riko replied, and You’s heart fluttered as she saluted her girlfriend.

“Yousoro!”

* * *

The outdoor seating of the boba tea shop was shady enough to be comfortable, and Hanamaru was beyond grateful she, Sarah, and Yoshiko had managed to grab this table. She and Sarah had stopped to check out a bookstore, and after a few reasonably priced purchases, they’d gone back out to the festival. It hadn’t been long before they ran into Yoshiko, chatting with a few people who apparently enjoyed her YouTube channel. Hanamaru didn’t try touching that side of her girlfriend’s life with a ten-meter pole; she wasn’t exactly technologically compatible and she was well aware of it. The most she knew was what Yoshiko told her, not counting the times Yoshiko asked her to “stream” or record with her. She knew enough to be supportive, and that was enough for both of them.

After Yoshiko bid her fans farewell, she joined Hanamaru and Sarah in wandering around to explore the festival. Barring one incident where Sarah had stopped to tease her sister (Leah and Ruby had been in line to have an artist do a couple’s portrait of them), they had drifted without finding a particular reason to anchor themselves until they found this boba tea shop. The menu had been modified for the event, many drinks given different names. There was also an option to order “rainbow boba” in the tea instead of choosing a flavor—basically, a random assortment of various-colored flavors would be used.

Hanamaru was fine with having peach-flavored tea and blueberry boba. Yoshiko, ever the adventurous one in their relationship, ordered Sapphic Sunrise (a blend of strawberry, raspberry, peach, and honey) tea with rainbow boba, while Sarah just looked the staff dead in the eye with her usual bright smile and told them to surprise her. They’d all tried each other’s, and they’d all acknowledge that each tea was delicious, although none of them could quite figure out exactly what Sarah’s was.

The three of them had been relaxing in relative silence for a few minutes with their teas and a large platter of assorted snacks when a familiar voice called out to them.

“Sarah-chan! Sarah-chan!”

All three of them looked to the source. Sarah beamed, her whole expression lighting up as she waved Chika over. The redhead looked determined, and Hanamaru had an inkling of why she had come over yelling for her crush like that.

“It’s about time,” Yoshiko grumbled, clearly on the same wavelength.

“Chika, order whatever you like,” Sarah offered. “I promised I’d buy you something, remember?”

“Speaking of, didn’t someone promise to win me something, zura?” Hanamaru teasingly elbowed her girlfriend. Yoshiko sat up straight, chest out and proud.

“Not just something! I’ll find you a prize worthy of heaven, and I’ll win it for you!” she boasted. Hanamaru kissed her cheek.

“My hero, zura,” she praised, cuddling closer. Yoshiko grabbed her waist and hauled her onto her lap.

“So what kind of prize do you want?” she asked softly in her ear.

“A plushie!” Hanamaru told her without hesitation.

“That was fast!” Yoshiko noticed. “What kind?”

“Well…” Hanamaru hesitated shyly. “I saw someone had a rainbow dog holding a heart colored like the bi pride flag, zura…and if there was an animal with the lesbian flag colors…” She touched her fingertips together a few times. Yoshiko made a soft “humm-hmm” sound and drummed her fingers against her girlfriend’s stomach through her shirt.

“I’ll find one, Zuramaru,” she declared firmly. “It’s my mission.”

“Do you want me to come on your mission with you, zura?” Hanamaru offered, tilting her head to meet her eyes. Yoshiko shook her head.

“This is my mission, and mine alone…” she explained dramatically. Even with her fallen angel persona fully separated from her daily life, she still had a flair for the theatric. She patted Hanamaru’s thigh and she took the hint, sliding off of her girlfriend’s lap.

“So you’re gonna leave me with the two new-ish lovebirds?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. Yoshiko put her hands on her shoulders.

“I will bring you a prize well worth your suffering. Wait for me, my love.”

With a brief brush of lips, Yoshiko was gone, sweeping away towards the games. Hanamaru had her doubts as to how her klutz of a lover could win her more than a participation prize, but what Yoshiko lacked in grace, she made up for in sheer stubbornness. She’d either succeed or be there until she was forcibly dragged away.

Across the table, Chika had apparently been told exactly how long she’d failed to notice that she was being flirted with, because she was slumped over with her face against the table’s surface. Sarah was patting her back reassuringly, but amusement rather than sympathy shone in her eyes. Hanamaru considered the situation, then dug in her shopping bag to start one of her books. While Sarah and Chika talked about their relationship, she may as well get some reading done.

And despite all the noise around her, Hanamaru felt almost completely at peace.

* * *

“It took me several hours to find, enough that the sun is now fading, but at last, there it is!” Yoshiko aimed her phone camera at her goal: a large, rainbow-hued frog plushie holding a heart colored like the lesbian pride flag. “Zuramaru said she wants me to win something that looks like that, so that’s what I’m gonna win her! And to do so, I must master the art…” Yoshiko stared solemnly into the camera again, “…of throwing darts.”

She carefully set her phone down, propped up so the camera would keep her in a good angle. She’d streamed enough videos to confidently say she was a pro at properly positioning her phone like this. The man working the stall looked amused as he accepted her money and handed her a bundle of ten. She set them down.

“I need to pierce seven balloons to win that prize for my beloved,” she explained to her audience. “Let’s see…first dart!” She picked up a dart, aimed, and threw—a clear miss. “Dammit! Okay, second try…” Yoshiko selected her second dart and aimed again, a little higher this time, her tongue sticking out to one side. She threw it and— “Yes! Direct hit!” she cheered as the balloon popped. She made it through five more darts—one miss and four successes—without distraction. Then…

"Mari, there's...something I've been planning to do today."

Kanan's voice drew Yoshiko's attention. She paused and looked behind her to see that the diver had seemingly been walking and stopped, the way Mari was a pace ahead with her wrist in Kanan's grip implying that she'd grabbed her girlfriend to make her stop too.

_She seems nervous,_ Yoshiko noticed. _Why? She and Mari have been close friends since they were kids, and they've been dating for a few years now, and it's Mari's birthday so she'd never bring up a bad—_

_Wait._

_Wait..._

_Is she...?_

Yoshiko grinned and set down the dart, looking at her phone.

"You all know my friends Kanan and Mari? Well, I think something _really big_ is happening for them!" she said gleefully, then picked up her phone and switched the camera to point at the couple, creeping close enough to have solid audio. She was fully aware that Kanan might kill her, but she decided it was worth it.

_Besides…when they’re putting together a video montage for their wedding or whatever, they’ll definitely be thanking me for this._

* * *

_I can’t put it off any longer._

Kanan gulped. She and Mari had just made their way to the heart of the festival’s games, and Mari was eagerly eyeing various prizes, but Kanan didn’t dare offer to win any. Not yet. When she was still this jittery from the anticipation, she wouldn’t be able to win any of these games. She needed to hurry and do it before Mari batted her eyelashes and asked for a prize.

"Mari," Kanan stopped and caught her girlfriend's wrist to make her stop as well, "there's...something I've been planning to do today."

Mari looked back at her, and Kanan let go so she could turn and take a step to come closer.

"What is it?" Mari asked curiously. Kanan swallowed hard, and Mari took in the nervousness on her face, waiting patiently for her to speak instead of pressing for answers.

"Well, I mean...this is kind of an amazing day, right? It's your birthday, and you're spending it at a huge gay pride festival. With me," she began. Mari's soft smile bolstered her confidence. "When we met as kids, I never could've imagined this. Us. Being here. Any of it. I...was never really one for wishful thinking, y'know?" Kanan laughed.

"I was," Mari replied, taking her hand and squeezing it. "I mean I never really imagined _this_ ," she gestured to their surroundings, "but I've always been a wishful thinker, so I've definitely imagined us. You were pining without actual fantasies, but I was always daydreaming."

"You're such a dork," Kanan teased. Mari gasped in false offense and swatted her shoulder. "Hey, it's cute!" Kanan defended herself. Mari giggled, leaning in to kiss her cheek.

" _You're_ cute," she replied. Kanan rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I know," she acknowledged. "But seriously. What I was saying is, this is a really special day, and we already made a lot of memories, but I'd like to do something to make it even more memorable."

"Oh? Like what?" Mari grinned deviously, eyes sparkling as she pointedly swept her eyes over her girlfriend's body. "Be _very_ specific."

"Nothing like what you're thinking," Kanan denied flatly.

"Aww..." Mari pouted in disappointment.

"Don't worry—I'm pretty sure this is better," Kanan promised, earning raised eyebrows. "Okay. I've been in love with you since high school, and I...I'm not sure what I'd do without you. I love you, Mari. So, _so_ much, which is why...it's why I'm asking this."

Kanan took a deep breath and pulled her hand from Mari's. She didn't break eye contact as she reached into her pocket. She was dimly aware of a small crowd, evidently having realized what was happening, in a circle around them, but that was fine—she didn't mind their attention, and Mari likely felt the same disregard.

There wasn't a typical box, since the bulk of one would have been obvious; it was just a small, almost flat case shaped like an oyster. The pearl was one of June's birthstones, not to mention a product of the ocean that was so close to their hearts. Representing it just felt right.

Mari followed the motion. Her eyes went wide and her mouth fell open as she caught on. Kanan didn't give her time for more of a reaction than that before she dropped to one knee and flipped the case open in one smooth motion. The growing crowd seemed to hold their breath.

"Will you marry me?"

Mari immediately broke into a wide grin. Her eyes shone with both elation and tears.

"Yes, yes, _absolutely_ yes!" she nearly shouted. She took the box and closed it so she could grab Kanan's hand, pull her to her feet (she actually stumbled from the force), and practically throw herself at her. Kanan's quick reflexes easily caught her by the waist as the blonde flung her arms around her neck and managed to ease her momentum enough to kiss her without any bruising force behind it.

Whistling, clapping, and cheering filled the air, but it sounded muffled, as though Kanan was underwater. She held Mari closer until they were flush against each other, both smiling into the kiss at first before calming down enough to properly deepen it. Despite the adrenaline, Kanan was still aware of their surroundings, so she timed it in her head. Most people’s lungs would demand air before the appropriateness could become questionable, but Kanan was a diver who enjoyed singing and Mari was a singer who enjoyed diving—the same standard didn’t apply.

“Well?” she prompted when she pulled away, neither of them out of breath. “Are you going to put it on?” Her girlfriend—her _fiancée_ stepped back to open the case, holding it up to get a better look at what was inside. Her eyes went wide.

"Kanan...this is..." Mari breathed, staring at the ring. Kanan fidgeted restlessly, awaiting judgment.

The golden band was slim, the diamond in it cut into a four-pointed star. To each side of the diamond, four round alexandrites were set into the metal, close together and large enough for their colors to be seen clearly. The design was elegant but rather simple—the gemstones were expensive, and Kanan wasn't exactly rich—which left her anxious to see Mari's reaction.

"I know it's not all that fancy or anything, but...I tried," she said, a little sheepishly. Mari looked up at her, blinking as she processed the words. Then she reached around Kanan with her free hand to smack the back of her head in apparent reprimand.

"You're an _idiot_ if you think this isn't perfect," she scolded. "You had its diamond cut into the perfect shape. You added my favorite birthstone too—and I know you purposefully didn't get flawless quality so the colors will be ours. You even got eight of them to make nine gems total, for our Aqours memories. All of it is so...amazing. You've put so much thought and feeling into it. I can't imagine anything better."

"Okay. I was worried it wouldn't be good enough..." Kanan sighed, relieved at the sincerity. Mari looked down and slipped the ring onto her finger, then held up her hand to admire it.

" _And_ it's a perfect fit!" she noticed. Something seemed to dawn on her and she met Kanan's eyes again, almost suspiciously. "A custom-cut diamond and eight alexandrites...Kanan, how expensive was this for you to have made?" she asked. Kanan hesitated.

"Well, there was a jeweler from Australia travelling around, and he overheard some people in Tokyo talking about Uchiura's beaches and decided to stop by and go diving—"

"Kanan."

"He gave me a discount in exchange for a free dive, so really it wasn't as expensive as it could have been!"

"How long did you have to save up to pay for this?" Mari demanded, crossing her arms sternly. Kanan gulped.

"Uhm...about six months?" she admitted with a sheepish grin.

"I don't know if I should kiss you or just smack you again," Mari sighed, shaking her head.

"Well, let me know when you figure it—" Kanan was abruptly cut off when Mari decided to go for the former option.

“Now,” the blonde pulled back just enough to speak, her lips still brushing Kanan’s, “I’ll give you some money, and you can win us some shiny prizes.”

“Sounds good to me,” Kanan agreed with a grin.

She didn’t find out until later that Yoshiko had streamed the whole interaction to thousands of people online, when the perpetrator had long since vanished into the crowd. Still, if Yoshiko thought she was going to be getting any hugs in the foreseeable future, she was dead wrong.

* * *

As the festival came to a close, there was an event scheduled to finish it off with a bang. Not fireworks, of course, but a drag show and a concert—although pyrotechnics were rumored to be in store for special effects. But the day had been long, and Leah’s feet were dragging. If Ruby wanted to go, she would have endured easily, but Ruby was as tired as she was. Instead of going to the finale, the two of them found their way to a small café.

“Oh, what are you two doing here?”

Leah jumped on instinct at the voice. Dia was a force to be reckoned with, she knew that, even more so because Dia had a strong voice in Ruby’s future. Leah had never felt really intimidated by the woman until this weekend, and now she wondered how she had been so naïve before.

“Onee-chan!” Ruby greeted her happily, squeezing Leah’s hand in reassurance. “We were tired, so we thought we’d find someplace quiet to relax before we go back to the hotel.”

“Ah. I thought the same,” Dia agreed. “Although I didn’t expect to see anyone I know. Please, sit. I’ll pay for you both,” she invited. Ruby tugged Leah over. “And Leah-san?”

“Yes!” Leah straightened, standing almost at attention. Dia smiled at her.

“You can relax. I didn’t mean to frighten you so. I won’t veto your place in my sister’s life,” she promised. Leah all but collapsed into a chair, the weight of the world sliding from her shoulders. Ruby giggled and scooted her own chair closer.

“Thank you, Dia,” Leah said, bowing her head. Dia just chuckled in response. The bell on the café door jungled.

“Ruby-chan, I thought you’d be at the concert, zura!”

Leah looked up to see Hanamaru clutching a large, rainbow-colored stuffed frog with one arm, her other hand gripping her girlfriend’s. Yoshiko was carrying a bookstore bag that presumably belonged to Hanamaru.

“We were both tired,” Ruby explained sheepishly. Yoshiko and Hanamaru sat at the table next t them.

“Us too, zura.”

It was a common sentiment, apparently—You and Riko joined them before long. Chika and Sarah weren’t far behind, and Leah took note of her sister walking hand-in-hand with the former Aqours leader.

_It’s about time! I wonder if she actually took the initiative, or if Chika finally got the guts to say something…_ Leah mused. She decided she’d just ask Sarah later.

Much to everyone’s surprise, Mari and Kanan showed up within a couple minutes. Leah had expected the newly engaged couple to be back at the hotel by now, or watching the festival’s final event, but they looked as tired as the rest.

Kanan’s glare was harsh against Yoshiko, making her shrink down and snuggle into Hanamaru for comfort. Kanan hadn’t reacted well to learning her proposal had been streamed on the Internet for anyone to see. She had been even less happy to learn that Yoshiko made sure that video also uploaded to the immortal Internet. Leah could understand her reaction. If anyone pulled a stunt like that when she proposed to Ruby, she would probably show far less restraint.

_Wait. When I…propose…?_ Leah felt her face start to burn at the thoughts. _No! This is the first time I’ve even_ seen _Ruby since we started dating. I’m not getting ahead of myself. No serious future thoughts. Not that kind, at least._

“I intended to give these to you tomorrow, but since you’re all here now anyway…” Dia drew the attention of the room as she pulled out a small bag. “I have a commemorative enamel pin here for each of us. They’re all the same. I thought it would be good for us to have matching keepsakes.”

“Ohh, so thoughtful! That’s just like our Dia-san!” Chika praised as she accepted her pin.

“Dia, eleven of these…?” Mari looked at her pin when she received it, then up at her friend. “How much did that cost?”

“Well, actually…they were given to me. For free,” Dia admitted, her face turning pink. “I may have…chased off a group of hateful bigots early in the day.”

“Really?” Ruby gasped in awe. Dia’s blush deepened.

“Tell us that story, Dia!” Kanan requested. As Dia started to explain, Ruby leaned into Leah a bit more.

“My sister is amazing,” she whispered. Normally, Leah would come up with a reason why _her_ sister was better, but for some reason, she didn’t even try. Maybe it was because she was tired, or maybe it was because Dia had said she accepted her as Ruby’s girlfriend. Or maybe—probably—it was because she could see the glint of Mari’s engagement ring, and she found herself revisiting her previous train of thought, realizing that someday Dia might be _her_ older sister too, and Sarah might be Ruby’s. Whatever the reason, though, it had Ruby’s jaw dropping, because instead of coming back with a counter about why Sarah was better than Dia, Leah just nodded.

“Yeah,” she agreed. “She really is.”

* * *

To Kanan’s surprise, she found herself being led to a different hotel that evening. One with a much higher price tag. She followed Mari over to the front desk, where the young receptionist (whose shirt was adorned with a bi pride pin) was preoccupied with her phone.

"Excuse me," Mari said, tapping the counter. "I have a reservation for the night under the name Ohara?"

"I'm sorry! I was just—" The receptionist looked up and did a double take, her eyes widening. Kanan raised an eyebrow at the reaction.

"Are you okay?" she asked. The receptionist nodded, blushing.

"I was just surprised. Congratulations on your engagement! I'll arrange it so your room service is complimentary," she replied.

"Um. Thanks? But...how did you know?" Kanan frowned.

"I'm a really big fan of Yoshiko-chan," the receptionist admitted. Kanan groaned.

"Of course you are. Do I even _want_ to know how many people have seen that video by now?"

"Hmm..." Mari took out her phone and presumably checked their friend's YouTube channel. She grinned. "Probably not."

Kanan groaned again and closed her eyes, trusting Mari to not let her walk into anything when she grabbed her hand and started to pull her along. When she did open her eyes, the elevator door was closing behind them and the button for a floor just two from the top was lit up.

_At least she didn’t do something as stupid as reserve the penthouse. I hope._

The room was, fortunately for Kanan’s sanity, a typical suite. She didn’t bother looking around much, though. She and Mari had been walking around a festival almost all day, and the physical and mental wear had them both going right to the bed to collapse onto the soft mattress. There were a few long seconds of silence.

"There's something I need to show you," Mari finally said, sitting up and taking out her phone.

"Yeah?" Kanan rolled onto her back and crossed her arms behind her head, watching her fiancée. It took a minute but Mari found what she was looking for, and she held our her phone so Kanan could see the screen.

It was a digital sketch, presumably made by Mari herself, with some details drawn enlarged off to the side along with several notes. It was really more of a blueprint than anything. For a ring.

"Seriously?" Kanan couldn't help but laugh. "Of course you would decide to design one yourself and have it made _completely_ from scratch. Rich people are crazy."

"Oh, so I should call the artisan and cancel?" Mari raised a challenging eyebrow.

"I never said that."

The design was for a white gold band with a single round diamond. The most notable aspect, however, was the diamond's setting. Instead of a typical design, it was encircled by two small but exquisitely detailed dolphins, both with tiny alexandrite eyes. The twin gems would be too small to see; the symbolism of their colors would be more in mind than in sight.

"It'll be finished in about a week," Mari told her. "I didn't think you would propose before I got the chance," she added with a pout.

"If you don't want your birthday present, feel free to return it," Kanan suggested teasingly. Mari huffed.

"You can be truly insufferable," she accused. When Kanan laughed, the blonde silenced her by flopping down heavily across her stomach, the abrupt weight making her wheeze. While she caught her breath, Mari shuffled to lie atop her properly, putting her lips beside her ear. "But I love you anyway."

"Well you're certainly not marrying me for my money," Kanan commented when her lungs let her. Mari propped herself up on her arms to meet her eyes with a playful glare. Kanan chuckled.

"So how should we tell my parents we're engaged?" Mari asked, which effectively put Kanan in a more serious mood.

"I don't know...call them?" she suggested uncertainly. Mari considered. Her eyes lit up with an idea.

"I'll just text Mama the link to Yoshiko's video!" she chirped. Kanan groaned and closed her eyes. "What?"

"I didn't exactly...tell your parents I was planning to propose. They might not react well to finding out through a video on our friend's YouTube channel," she explained.

"You didn't ask for their blessing?" Mari gasped exaggeratedly. "How brash of you! Almost scandalous."

"Yeah yeah, but if even one person knew, there was a chance you'd find out somehow. I didn't want to ruin the surprise. But I'm not looking forward to _that_ conversation..."

As if on cue, Mari's phone started ringing. Kanan opened her eyes as her fiancée sat up to check the screen, noting her gulp. She could hazard a guess as to who was calling. Mari put it on speaker and set it down on the bed, a nervous glint flashing briefly in her eyes.

"Hi, Mama," she greeted.

"Mari. I would have preferred to hear it from you directly instead of seeing a photo on my newsfeed," the woman replied coolly.

"H-hear what?" Mari stammered and cleared her throat. Kanan rolled her eyes at the failed attempt to convey ignorance.

"There's only one reason Kanan would be on one knee, and the comment added by the person who uploaded it was very clear. 'This was the best thing I saw at Tokyo Pride Fest! Cutest proposal ever!'"

"Mama, I would have called you tomorrow!" Mari promised. "I just wanted my first night of being engaged to be peaceful and happy, I didn't want to get a lecture or have an argument so soon, I—!"

"Mari," her mother cut her off sternly and she fell silent, biting her lip. "I didn't call to scold you or disapprove. I'm happy for you."

"You...what?" Mari asked softly. She looked at Kanan, whose own confusion was mirrored in her eyes.

"The comment also had a link to a video on your friend Yoshiko's YouTube channel. Papa and I watched it together, and we agreed that since Kanan makes you so happy, we're both in favor of your engagement."

_That damn video again!_ Kanan huffed irritably. Mari smirked.

"It was a very sweet proposal, wasn't it?" she asked, directing the question at her mother but not taking her eyes off of Kanan.

"Yes, it was. Papa and I were still hoping you'd find and marry a nice man, but..." Mari's mother sighed. Kanan bristled.

_What part of “lesbian” didn't they get when she came out to them?_ She opened her mouth but Mari quickly apprehended the impending ill-advised comment with a soft kiss.

"Don't," she murmured against Kanan's lips, too quietly for the phone to pick up. "I don't want to get in a fight with her. Not tonight."

Kanan growled low in her throat, but she obliged, listening as Mari and her mother cordially talked about how the day had proceeded for each of them. Finally, Mari told her mother she was tired and hung up a couple minutes later. She turned her phone on silent and tossed it aside. It fell to the floor, but she didn’t really seem to care. Kanan could tell where this was going, but she didn’t let on that she knew.

"You know...it may be June fourteenth now, but until sunrise, I still count it as my birthday," Mari said, kissing her on the cheek before meeting her eyes expectantly.

"Mmhm, I do too," Kanan agreed. There was a pause.

"And we got engaged earlier today..." Mari added pointedly.

"We did."

Another pause.

"We should celebrate, don't you think?"

"Well, room service is complimentary for us. Do you want me to call down for champagne and cake?" Kanan offered.

"I—you—you can't just—you _know_ what I mean!" Mari spluttered indignantly.

"I don't think I do," Kanan denied, smirking. "Mind spelling it out?" Mari's mouth fell open.

"Are...are you really going to play dumb with me? You're going to make me beg for it on my _birthday_?" she demanded.

"Beg for what?" Kanan's smirk widened despite her innocent tone. "You're not being clear, Mari."

"Kanan!" Mari whined, pouting. Kanan arched an eyebrow, determinedly keeping up the act.

"What?"

"I can't _believe_ you..." Mari huffed, her face flushing dark red. For all her boldness, she was always embarrassed when Kanan forced her to voice her intentions instead of going with the flow. Usually the mood would carry them without words, but every now and then Kanan couldn't resist having a little fun; she loved watching Mari get so flustered and needy.

"I'm just confused. What is it that you want from me?" the diver repeated, her smirk shifting to a grin. She knew her fiancée was close to giving in and waited patiently as stubbornness and desire warred in her eyes.

"Damn your attitude, Kanan Matsuura! It's my birthday and we just got engaged, and you're being so awful to me!"

The insult was insincere and they both knew it. Kanan stayed silent. Mari's expression finally fell into defeat.

"Fine, you win. I love you very, very much. Now will you _please_ have sex with me?" she requested. Kanan pretended to consider.

"I don't know. You don't seem to want it very much, if it took you that long to admit it. You might have to convince me," she teased. Mari groaned, but a smile was tugging at her lips.

"Oh I'll convince you," she promised as she leaned down to press her lips to her neck, slipping one hand up her shirt to trace her muscles in the way she knew would make them shudder. "I'll convince you, my love..." Lingering kisses down her neck, and her breath hitched. Mari noticed—the diver could feel her smirk against her skin. "It won't take long."

_Probably not,_ Kanan admitted to herself, already tilting her head to the side to give Mari a better angle. Then, just to be obnoxious...

"So is that a no on the champagne and cake?" she asked, which earned her a sharp bite of reprimand.

"We'll order some tomorrow and take it with us," Mari decided. "Now shut up and let me seduce you," she added in a low growl, finally reaching the level of impatience and need that presented as irritation.

"Yes ma'am," Kanan consented with a lazy grin.

Tokyo Pride Fest, she decided, was the best event of the year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow yeah, done. Time to sleep now. :)  
> Okay anyway, for all ye who don't know, alexandrite is one of June's birthstones. It's also super special because it changes colors depending on the light! It shifts between red and green in perfect quality, but usually the red shift presents as purple instead, meaning it changes color from purple to green. AKA, Mari and Kanan's colors. I just find that beautiful.  
> If you want details on what the other girls were up to at any point during the fic, I may be able to write bonus/extra oneshots based on popular request? Ugh, but only possibly and probably only really short ones, because it is still murder on the brain to sit down and write something solidly.  
> Okay yeah that's it, goodnight everyone.


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